Sweet Rides of Macedonia - January

A Year of Sweet Rides of Macedonia.

The Balkans have a large variety of old vehicles left over from the former glory days of empire.  Many are still around, and many of these have ended up in Macedonia.  Some still run, some are run to ground and some have been re-purposed.  Here is a collection to keep you company all year, one for each month.  I've done my best to identify the make and approximate year of each, but wear, user customization or just automotive error have thrown me off in some cases.  So, presenting:

MS JANUARY

Proudly representing this month is a group of vehicles manufactured in Serbia - the (in) famous Zastava.  This 767cc workhorse was made between 1959 to about 1980 when the factory then ran out of tiny lego blocks from which they were built.  No, even though it was aligned with Fiat, it ran out of economic gas, but was eventually resurrected by massive capital infusions by Fiat.  

Here is a 750.   It was the smallest they made.  I'd guess 1965.  My wife is much younger.

You'll find Zastava/Fiats all over Macedonia.  They are very cute and still serving their owners.  Some of the early models had doors that opened from the front toward the rear.  I think most of these have since killed their owners and the regular door versions are most common.

In front of the train station in Gevgelija.  The sweet luggage rake option sets this one apart.

Here is one that can no longer offer a sweet ride due to 4 flat tires.  It is still useful as a brace for a pile of bricks with gravel holding up the rear.

Many of these beauties have interiors of cloth seats, astroturf seats, wood seats, no seats, or mostly metal frames.  Coolness, not comfort is the important feature when you have the Zastava Sweet Ride!

Thank you Ms January!

Gluhwein and Christmas Greetings

Kathy and I had the great good fortune to visit Germany in early December.  Now, at this time of year, Germany is decked out in its finest Christmas attire. Germany seems to have invented Christmas, and they do it right!  They are, like, the Japan of Christmas - the whole country is so - dang -  cute!  There are Christmas markets, lighted towns, lighted trees, lighted houses with cute little wooden displays, Christmas foods, Christmas church services, Christmas drinks, and all with the renowned German efficiency.  This trip all began 50 years ago . . .


Back when the glaciers had recently melted, and I was in high school, our family hosted an exchange student from Germany - Thomas Von Cube.  Tom stayed with us for the senior year, and went back to Germany to study psychiatry, become a doctor, marry Irina who had also spent a HS year in the US, and raise a fine family in Kirkheim Unter Teck, Germany.  We've kept in touch over the years and we hosted his oldest daughter, Julia, for her senior year when we lived in Boise.  We both have visited each other many times over the years, with this most recent visit of ours to Germany.   One of our wishes was to visit Germany during the cute season, and being so close now in Macedonia - why not?  Here are a few of the fun things we packed in to 5 days.

 A trip to the medieval town of Esslingen to the Christmas market there.












Proof that Kathy and I were there and these are not National Geographic photos. . . .

 Gluhwein and Irish Punch.  Both packed a good punch.

Irina and Kathy, standing up well to the punch.

I salute the market in Tubingen with more punch!

We climbed the hundreds of stairs to look down on Esslingen and the market in the snow.  

We were amazed by the beautiful things

Special breads

Special statues of famous people, long forgotten

Disco-Santa spun the hits

Even the kitsch could not detract from the awesome Christmas markets

There was something for everyone, whether your taste ran to the wild;











Or the beautifully healthy,

Or, if you needed "hardware" made of pure chocolate!

Everything was special

Everything was irresistible

Made special by special friends, Tom and Irina (during a visit to MAK, earlier)

We had a special time, and got to enjoy a wonderful visit in the second-cutest country in the world (after Japan).  We are thankful for our life-long friendship with the von Cubes and look forward to the next round of Gluhwein!  

Al